Unlike many cancers that cause pain, noticeable lumps, or other early symptoms, cervical cancer has no telltale warning signs until it is so advanced that it is usually unresponsive to treatment. Only in the late stages does cervical cancer cause pain in the lower abdominal or back region, or produce other noticeable symptoms. Tests which provide early detection of cervical, uterine and vaginal cancer are paramount to the effective treatment and recovery from the disease. A Papanicolaou smear test, commonly referred to as a Pap test, has long been established as a highly useful diagnostic tool which allows the identification of premalignant and malignant tissue at very early stages of the disease, as well as the identification of various inflammations and infections. The American Society of Clinical Pathologists recommends women have an annual Pap test.
A Pap test is a clinical procedure in which typically a bivalve speculum is inserted into a vaginal cavity and the cervix is exposed for sampling. A sample smear of cervical or vaginal secretions is then removed using an inserted scraper, probe, brush or similar type of device. The collected smear is evenly spread on one or more glass slides for microscopic examination. These standard-sized laboratory slides may be lined with hundreds of thousands of cervical cells. These slides are examined for the early detection of cancer or to determine the presence of certain hormonal conditions or certain infections. Lurking in these cells may be as few as a dozen abnormal cells. Finding such telltale cells is akin to finding a needle in a haystack, especially at the end of the day when laboratory technicians are likely to have examined countless Pap test slides. In addition, abnormalities in cell shape may be slight and difficult for even the trained eye to detect, or may be masked by infection.
At one time Pap tests were performed almost exclusively by medical professionals in a doctor's office or a hospital. Many women, however, did not receive their yearly test because of their inability to visit a doctor on an annual basis, their reluctance to see a doctor or the expense of visiting a doctor coupled with test costs. U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,853 involves one self-administrated cervical sampling system to help solve the problem.